First Ladies by Kay Burley

Author:Kay Burley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Chapter 30

Celeb magazine

Sally hadn’t seen Julian since Valerie had taken her overdose. Sitting disconsolately in her corner office she struggled to wrestle away the fear of rejection that was closing in. Sally tried to buoy herself by remembering how Julian had cheered her up the last time she’d been upset in the days after Monty’s injury. He was all over her like a cheap dress, whisking her up to the safe house and showering her with gifts. She had been sure he was going to propose. But then his ridiculous present wife had tried to top herself and suddenly his attitude had changed once more. She understood he needed to play the role of doting concerned husband at first but now he was travelling all the time and only ever called for phone sex while he was on the road. Why hadn’t he rung at all during his trip to Dublin? She tried very hard to quell any rising panic and instead convinced herself to remain confident that everything would be fine again after the election on Thursday. Until then she needed to be patient.

Sally had attempted to keep busy by working longer hours and developing even more ways to destroy Valerie’s repu tation. She was furious at how Ben had spun her overdose as exhaustion, a woman who’d buckled under intolerable pressure. Something had to give and it was the poor first lady’s health that had unfortunately succumbed.

Today’s papers were no different. A photograph of Valerie pushing her brother’s wheelchair through the grounds of a Lancashire stately home, concern etched on both their faces. It was the front-page picture of every newspaper. The Independent noted that the location was a 250-acre estate gifted to the nation by the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres. The Sun’s headline: Knocked For Six.

Some of the more sceptical newspaper commentators had wondered whether there was more to why her health had failed. Was Julian being supportive enough to a wife who had to cope with so much family heartache?

Sally wanted to vomit. If only they knew what that obscene woman had really done. Trying to kill herself while her daughter was sleeping in the room next door. What sort of mother would do that? She neglected to acknowledge that Julian was having unprotected sex with her as his wife reached her lowest ebb.

Sally flicked through the other newspapers on her desk. Reaching page 7 of the Star she stopped abruptly, shocked by the headline: Rambo Stalker Bid For Freedom.

She reached for her Prada spectacles and with growing anxiety held the page closer, focusing on every syllable. Surely he couldn’t get out yet? There must be some sort of mistake.

Richard Head was an ex-boyfriend who had been arrested in her garden while wearing a red bandana and carrying a knife, hence the Rambo reference. Sally hadn’t allowed herself to ponder what his intentions might have been. Instead she’d been content that he was convicted and safely resting at Her Majesty’s pleasure. He had written the

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